SOE Faculty Gabe and Crawley show large declines in Maine’s hospitality businesses due to COVID-19

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

July 2, 2020 faculty, News, Research

Sales at Maine hospitality businesses stand to decline between 35 and 42 percent this year due to COVID-19, according to a new report by UMaine Professors Todd Gabe and Andrew Crawley of the School of Economics.

“As of right now, we’re expecting 2020 hospitality sales of between $2.5 billion and $2.8 billion, which is a steep drop compared to the $4.3 billion in sales recorded last year,” said Andrew Crawley, one of the study’s authors.

The study uses taxable sales data from Maine Revenue Services and daily COVID-related impacts from the Opportunity Insights project, which provides up-to-date estimates of reductions in hospitality sales in Maine and the rest of the United States.

“The monthly sales figures from Maine Revenue Services are currently available through April, and we used the Opportunity Insights data to track hospitality spending as recently as the middle part of June,” notes Gabe.

The research team plans to update the study in August, when data are released for summer hospitality sales. “The summer is a particularly important time for Maine hospitality sales,” explains Crawley. “About one-half of 2019 sales took place between June and September.”

“It’s important for people to note that our research focuses on the hospitality sector as a whole, which is a combination of restaurants and lodging establishments,” Gabe said. “Restaurant sales account for over two-thirds of Maine hospitality sales, so our estimates don’t necessarily show what’s happening in hotels across the state.”

Click here for a link to the report.

Click here for coverage of the report by the Portland Press Herald.

Click here for coverage of the report by News Center Maine.